Upbeat Cook feels welcomed by GOP

Looking perhaps a little older, but still slim, former GOP U.S. Rep. Merrill Cook is back pumping the hands of Republican delegates, trying to get through another GOP convention fight.

Cook, who has left the Utah Republican Party several times to run as an independent — the last time for Salt Lake County mayor in 2004 — was at the Salt Lake County GOP Convention on Saturday in Sandy.

"No delegate has said to me I don't belong here — with the Republicans," Cook said. "But maybe some are thinking it."

Cook said he has felt welcomed in county GOP conventions around the state in his old district, now held by Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson. The 2nd District takes in most of eastern Salt Lake County, a small part of northeast Utah County, and counties to the east, south and southwest, including Washington and Iron counties.

"Hey, I got a standing ovation in Garfield County" GOP convention after giving a speech about how Matheson hasn't been strong on some of the tough issues today, Cook said.

And ever the optimist, Cook is hoping to get at least 40 percent of the 1,200 2nd Congressional District delegates in next week's Utah GOP convention to get into a primary with Bill Dew — the man GOP leaders recruited to challenge Matheson this fall.

If neither Cook nor Dew gets 60 percent of the 2nd District delegate vote next week in the state convention, to be held at Utah Valley State College, then the two men will meet in a late June closed Republican primary.

That's what Cook wants, since his record in state GOP conventions is not good. In 1996, when Cook, after running for many offices unsuccessfully, finally won an office, Cook barely survived the rounds of voting in the state convention.

In one round he survived by just eight votes. He got into a primary with just 16 votes in the final round of voting. But Cook went on to win the GOP primary and then beat Democrat Rocky Anderson (who was later elected Salt Lake City mayor) in the final election.

Cook served two terms in the U.S. House before being defeated in the 2000 GOP primary by Derek Smith. Smith lost to then-newcomer Matheson. And even though the 2nd District is mostly Republicans, Matheson has won re-election since.

"I think that I'll come out of the (state GOP convention) with votes to spare. But by just a few," said Cook.

Dew said some delegates have told him that Cook doesn't belong in the Utah Republican Party any more. But, Dew added, "We both have run a positive campaign, and we'll continue to run such a campaign."

He said that he and his wife and Cook and Camille Cook have become friends "traveling through this district together."